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The Search for Modern China | 
 enlarge | Author: Jonathan D. Spence
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Category: Book
List Price: $57.55
Buy New: $35.99
You Save: $21.56 (37%)
New (33) Used (27) from $31.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  42 reviews
Sales Rank: 11252
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2 Sub
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 728
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.7
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0393973514
Dewey Decimal Number: 951.03
EAN: 9780393973518
ASIN: 0393973514
Publication Date: January 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Bought brand new and never used. Ships fast!
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Product Description
In this Second Edition of his widely acclaimed history of modern China, Jonathan Spence achieves a fine blend of narrative richness and efficiency. The text is tighter throughout and up-to-date on the most important scholarship in the field. The new discussions in this thorough revision include the extension of imperial power into central Asia by the eighteenth-century emperors, women's literacy and education in the Qing, the early development of Chinese nationalism, the roots of Chinese communism and alternatives to Mao, the early stages of the Great Leap Forward and of the Cultural Revolution. There is a new chapter at the end of the book on economic, cultural, and political developments since 1989. Praised as "a miracle of readability and scholarly authority," (Jonathan Mirsky) The Search for Modern China offers students a matchless introduction to China's history.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 Declan September 16, 2008
I gave this four stars because it was written by the expert on China but a little heavy and a slight bore to read. Still working my way through it. I should be a fellow expert by the time I'm finish !!
 Essential Reading for the Amateur Sinophile July 14, 2008
This is essential reading for both Chinese studies majors and anyone who wants a comprehensive, well-researched history of modern China. The writing is highly readable, moving along at the same pace as some of the better novels out there. This work is chock full of anecdotes, facts, photos, and tables, all serving to support and illuminate the strong narrative core of the book.
I've read it again and again. I highly recommend it.
Great Book! July 8, 2008
Book was never sent the first time I called after a couple of days and they overnighted it to me so I was very impressed with the fact that though they messed up they fixed the problem right away!
Just a great resource on China September 19, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've read over twenty books on China, and this is one of the best resources out there. At first I was caught off guard that Spence started in the 16th or 17th century, however, it provides a lot of insight into China's development and goes into detail about China's interactions with the West and their reactions. I especially found the opium trade quite interesting and also the fact that new dynasties had to constantly reconquer parts of China. One truly begins to appreciate the difficulty in governing a country so large and diverse as China.
An Unponderous History May 24, 2007
2 out of 11 found this review helpful
To truly know China, it is essential to have a grasp of its rich history. But that history is so vast and dense, it is easy to get lost. This book is an admirable guide. For a review of contempory issues, see my own book: The Coming China Wars: Where They Will Be Fought and How They Can Be Won
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